AI Red Team Engineer

About this role

Who We Are  

SEI conducts research and development in software engineering, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and many other areas of computing, working to introduce private-sector innovations into government.   The SEI works closely with defense and government organizations, industry, and academia to continually improve software-intensive systems. Its core purposes are to help organizations improve software engineering capabilities, advance cybersecurity methods and technologies, and bring the discipline of software engineering to AI systems.  

What We Do    

The CERT Threat Analysis (TA) Directorate conducts research and development activities to   identify , analyze, coordinate disclosure, and mitigate   threats and   vulnerabilities in systems and software. The TA Directorate is currently   comprised   of   three   teams:    Artificial Intelligence ( AI )   Security,   Malware   and   Vulnerability   Exploitation , and   Platform and Mission Engineering .    The AI Security team works   on advancing the state of the art in AI security at a national and global scale.   The Malware   and Vulnerability Exploitation (MVE)   team works to improve cyber-tradecraft analysis within strategic target communities to counter adversarial use of the Internet and related technologies .    The   v ulnerability   side of MVE   (home of the CERT Coordination Center) works with an expansive network of vendors, partners, and collaborators to reduce the societal harm of vulnerable software and systems .     The   Platform and Mission Engineering team   develops and   maintains   tools ,   environments , and operational support for   the   malware analysis, reverse engineering, vulnerability analysis, and AI security   domains .      

Position Summary  

As an AI Red Team Engineer on the AI Security team, you will play   a central role   in adversary emulation exercises and capability development for our mission partners. Due to our unique position within the TA Directorate, the systems we   red - team   fall outside the realm of 'traditional' enterprise red teaming. Our targets are commonly AI-enabled platforms used within national security contexts.  

But this   isn't   a "make the LLM say the bad thing" type of AI red team. We   operate   across multiple domains, meaning that our red teamers are expected to be experts in offensive cyber in addition to AI security. If you are experienced with offensive cyber tradecraft and have an interest in breaking into AI, this could be a good fit. Most of our red teamers are actively taking graduate-level technical courses at CMU and/or pursuing technical certifications. Perpetual learning is a core part of what we do.  

While our red team exists within a research organization, research is only a   portion   of the work performed by our red team. Much of the work will involve red teaming real-world systems, sometimes at an aggressive cadence. This can involve planning and rehearsing red team TTPs, traveling to field sites, and presenting relevant findings. Like most red teams, we   don't   get to   pick and choose   our targets. This means that our red team needs to be well-rounded (both as individuals and as a team). Thus, we expect all applicants to be savvy with both Windows and Linux, solid with TCP/IP, and have some experience with penetration testing and/or red teaming.    

What   you’ll   do:  

• Red team real-world AI-enabled systems   (both the model and the hardware/software/network that it runs on) in support of national security   objectives .  

• Develop new tactics, techniques, and procedures for attacking AI-enabled systems   and related software   in order to   better prepare defenders for real-world threats.   

• Write tools in Python, PowerShell, C, and BASH to enable red team operations.  

• Represent the CERT technical portfolio of work and operations; communicate with external mission partners and   internal   collaborators   in concert with CERT directorates and teams .   

Who you are:  

• BS in computer science, software engineering, networking, information systems, or a related technical field with eight (8) years of experience; MS in computer science or technical/engineering field with five (5) years of experience; PhD in computer science or technical/engineering field with two (2) years of experience or equivalent combination of training and experience. Other educational backgrounds of a technical nature with experience as described may be considered.  

• You have   previous   penetration testing, red teaming, or exploit development experience.   

• You have   previous   hands-on experience with at least one command and control framework (e.g., Cobalt Strike, Sliver).  

• You have experience programming/scripting in Python, C, and BASH   ( without the   assistance   of AI)   and   are willing to learn PowerShell.   

• You have   experience   with reverse engineering tools ( e.g.   NSA   Ghidra , IDA Pro) .  

• You   are able to   read code and quickly spot basic vulnerabilities without the   assistance   of AI or fuzzing.      

• You are   very familiar   with TCP/IP and all layers of the OSI model .   You have experience   using Wireshark and can explain   how common network protocols work.    

• You have experience in assessing the security of both Linux and Windows systems. Experience with mobile   ( e.g., Android)   and other operations systems is also appreciated.  

• You have at least two of the following relevant certifications:   OSCP, CPTS,   FORGE/RIOT,   GXPN , GAWN, GCPN, CRTO, CRTL, OSEP, OSWE, CCNA, CWEE .   Applicants without these   certifications will   still be considered   if equivalent   experience is   clearly   demonstrated   during   technical interviews.  

• You have a willingness to travel (25%) outside of your office location to other SEI offices, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings.

• You have excellent communication skills (oral and written), particularly

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